Article re-cap
- Ratepayer groups in Cape Town are questioning new sanitation tariffs that link fixed charges to the size of a property water meter.
- A property with a 40mm water meter attracts more than seven times the sanitation fixed charge compared to smaller meters.
- The City of Cape Town maintains that approximately 90% of the costs for providing water and sanitation services are fixed in nature.
- The City currently recovers about 17% of service costs through fixed charges and 83% through volumetric charges.
City of Cape Town watchdog groups are questioning the fairness of new sanitation tariffs that base fixed charges on water meter sizes.
Ratepayer groups and civic organisations, including STOP CoCT, have renewed criticism regarding the municipality's decision to link fixed sanitation charges to the size of a property's water meter. The dispute centres on whether larger meters justify higher fixed costs for sewage services.
According to Sandra Dickson, founder of STOP CoCT, water meters do not remove sewage from a property as wastewater is carried away through separate connections. She stated that sanitation costs are affected by wastewater volumes, the number of users, sewer capacity, and effluent type rather than just the bore size of a drinking water meter.
Dickson noted that a property with a 25mm water meter pays almost 2.8 times the sanitation fixed charge of a property with a 22mm meter, while a 40mm meter attracts more than seven times the charge. She argued that using meter size may be for administrative convenience rather than reflecting actual sewerage costs.
Finance Mayco member Siseko Mbandezi defended the Council approved structure, stating that the fixed charge helps recover the costs of providing and maintaining services regardless of usage. He said approximately 90% of the costs of providing water and sanitation services are fixed in nature.
Mbandezi explained that using meter size is an established utility tariff principle used locally and internationally to reflect the level of network capacity reserved for different categories. He added that the City currently recovers about 17% of costs through fixed charges and 83% through volumetric charges.
Frequently asked questions
Why are ratepayer groups challenging Cape Town sanitation tariffs?
Groups such as STOP CoCT are questioning the fairness of linking fixed sanitation charges to water meter sizes. Critics argue that meter size does not reflect actual sewage removal, as costs should be based on wastewater volumes, sewer capacity, and effluent type rather than the bore size of a drinking water meter.
How much more does a larger water meter cost for sanitation in Cape Town?
Under the current structure, a property with a 25mm water meter pays almost 2.8 times the sanitation fixed charge of a 22mm meter. Furthermore, a property with a 40mm meter attracts more than seven times the fixed charge compared to smaller connections.
What is the City of Cape Town's justification for these sanitation charges?
Finance Mayco member Siseko Mbandezi stated that the fixed charge helps recover costs for providing and maintaining services. He explained that using meter size is an established utility tariff principle used locally and internationally to reflect the level of network capacity reserved for different categories.
Source: iol.co.za
